Pyongyang, January 15 (KCNA) -- Former unconverted long-term prisoner Kim Yong Thae, pro-reunification patriotic fighter, died from an incurable disease on Jan. 14 at the age of 76.
His obituary was released on Tuesday.
It said: He was born in a poor peasant family in Kwaksan County, North Phyongan Province on July 23, Juche 20 (1931). He joined the Korean People's Army during the Fatherland Liberation War. His illness forced him to remain in an enemy-controlled area during the period of the KPA's strategic temporary retreat. He was arrested by the enemy while fighting as a Jirisan guerilla.
He remained true to his revolutionary faith as a member of the Workers' Party of Korea despite brutal torture and operation to force conversion on him behind bars for several decades.
After coming into the care of the DPRK 8 years ago, he devoted his energy and wisdom to building a great prosperous powerful socialist nation and achieving the cause of national reunification till the moment his heart stopped beating.

Pyongyang, January 15 (KCNA) -- Newspaper Saenal published in the DPRK is a companion of the school youth and children.
It carries diverse items for bringing up the school youth and children into versatile revolutionary personnel well prepared mentally, morally and physically, reports about sports activities, socio-political activities and do-good-thing movement brisk at schools, scientific and technological knowledge and literary and art common sense, etc.
It is the first revolutionary paper in Korea founded by President Kim Il Sung on Jan. 15, Juche 17 (1928), during the anti-Japanese revolutionary struggle.
Its foundation was a solemn declaration to the world of the birth of a new-type publication quite different from preceding ones, a revolutionary publication of Juche type serving for the cause of independence of the working masses with Juche idea as its only guideline. The revolutionary press began thenceforth striking its historic roots in Korea.
Going deep into the revolutionary organizations and broad masses with remarkable attraction from its first issue, the newspaper successfully fulfilled its militant function and role as an ideological weapon giving effect to the ideology and leadership of the President in the Korean revolution. It, thus, made an enormous contribution to rousing broad popular masses in the struggle for national liberation under his leadership.
Reissued in April 1971, it is greatly helping toward preparing the school youth and children to be reliable successors to the revolutionary cause of Juche.

Pyongyang, January 15 (KCNA) -- Relics of stone bridge "Chwijokgyo" belonging to Koryo (918-1392) have been discovered in Tokam-dong, Kaesong City recently.
In the light of the remaining relics, the bridge is estimated to have been about 60 meters long, 6.3 meters wide and 2.1 meters high.
Its superstructures have gone away but its substructures which consist of footstalls and supporters remain comparatively in their origin.
Most of the trimmed square granite footstalls have no ornament except some decorated like columns.
They are approximately 1-1.2 meters long, 0.8-1 meter wide and 0.5-0.6 meter thick.
The bridge stretching from east to west was built in the post-and-beam structure by the method of setting up pillars on footstalls, laying long stones as beams in four rows and covering the beams with flat stones.
Also discovered there were various pieces of Koryo porcelains, a horseshoe and an iron knife.
The relics and stone processing method tell that the bridge was erected in the early years of Koryo.

Pyongyang, January 15 (KCNA) -- Posters on the Second National Pencil Drawing Festival to celebrate February 16 have been produced by the Mansudae Art Studio, the Central Fine Art Studio and Pyongyang University of Fine Art.
The posters depicting immortal flower Kimjongilia, the majestic view of Jong Il Peak and others fully reflect the desire and wishes of the Korean people to grandly celebrate the most auspicious holiday of the nation.

Pyongyang, January 15 (KCNA) -- General Secretary Kim Jong Il was presented with gifts by the Ghasan Ahmad Al Khalid Company and the general manager of the Al Yasra Food Company of Kuwait on the occasion of his birthday.
The gifts were separately conveyed to the DPRK ambassador to Kuwait by the manager of the first company and the general manager of the second company on Jan. 5 and 6.

Pyongyang, January 15 (KCNA) -- To achieve independent reunification and peace and prosperity has become an irresistible trend in the June 15 era of reunification, and nobody can stem this vigorous struggle of the Koreans.
Rodong Sinmun Tuesday says this in a signed article.
Noting that the October 4 Declaration for Development of North-South Relations and Peace and Prosperity has been unanimously supported and approved by all Koreans as it is a patriotic programme for totally putting into practice the June 15 joint declaration, a declaration for independent reunification of the nation, and it encourages them in the patriotic struggle for reunification, the article goes on:
Actions for implementing the October 4 declaration are being sped up among people from all walks of life and mass movement organizations in south Korea.
The south Korean people's will to open a turning phase for independent reunification and peace and prosperity by thoroughly implementing the declaration is fully manifested in the intensified struggles they are these days waging in demand of the U.S. forces' withdrawal from south Korea, discontinuation of the joint military exercises against the DPRK and conclusion of a peace agreement.
Today a new chapter of independent reunification and peace and prosperity is being unfolded with the unanimous desire of the Koreans for independent reunification and their warm patriotism. This is a trend of the times and history that can never be checked.
For the Koreans there are the most just and realistic line and policy on national reunification and the June 15 joint declaration, a reunification programme common to the nation, and the October 4 declaration, an embodiment of the former declaration. All Koreans are filled with the unshakable will to implement the October 4 declaration to the letter under the uplifted banner of "By our nation itself" and the national unity is getting consolidated in the struggle for national reunification.
They should bring early the day of national reunification by dynamically struggling full of firm confidence and optimism under the slogan "Open up a new era of independent reunification and peace and prosperity by pooling the efforts of our nation!"

Pyongyang, January 15 (KCNA) -- The United States should forgo military high-handed and arbitrary practices, bearing deep in mind that the theory of the "U.S. century" is nothing but a daydream. Minju Joson Tuesday observes this in a signed commentary.
It goes on:
The Monroe Doctrine advocated by the U.S. till now has been completely abandoned.
Movements have become brisk in the Latin-American region once called "tranquil backyard" to establish the relations of diversified political and economic cooperation with various countries in line with the worldwide trend of multi-polarization, free from the sphere of U.S. unchallenged domination. This has brought the trend towards independence and socialism against the U.S. to spotlight.
What is noteworthy is the fact that it is not the Latin-American region only where the U.S. influence is sinking. The world public is unanimous in the view that the U.S. is gradually losing its "unchallenged authority" and "influence" in the international arena at the hands of its rivals.
The U.S. worked hard to seek a way of demonstrating its strength and dominating the world by beefing up its military muscle. But it is a stark reality that its strength is steadily waning and its influence gradually dwindling in the international arena quite contrary to its will.
The U.S. is sadly mistaken if it calculates it can rule the world with a stick. The stick policy enforced by the U.S. more desperately would only trigger off the stronger resistance of the international community against it and stoke anti-Americanism worldwide, throwing it into a deeper political quagmire.
It is as clear as a pikestaff that the "U.S. century" is bound to come to an end due to its military arbitrary actions just as violence and tyranny drove so powerful ancient Roman Empire into the abyss of ruin.

Pyongyang, January 15 (KCNA) -- The Solidarity for Implementing the South-North Joint Declaration reportedly posted an article dealing with the orientation of struggle of the progressive camp in south Korea for this year on its Internet homepage on Jan. 9.
Stressing the need for the progressive camp to wage struggle with faith in sure victory and ambition this year, a year of historic turn for the Korean nation, the article referred to the tasks facing the progressive camp.
Noting that consciousness on the great national unity should be enhanced and the might of the Korean nation displayed, the article said: It is important to dispel illusion about the U.S. in order to open up a new era of independent reunification, peace and prosperity by pooling efforts of the Koreans.
Calling for dynamically waging the struggle to implement the June 15 joint declaration and the October 4 declaration, the article said:
The progressive camp should not allow pro-U.S. sycophantic deeds and treachery of disturbing national reconciliation and unity but strengthen June 15 All-Korean Committee and further activate south-north exchange under the banner of independent reunification, peace and prosperity.
Underlining the need to launch the anti-U.S., anti-war struggle for withdrawal of the U.S. forces and the struggle to check neo-liberalist "globalization" and achieve people's right to existence, the article called for strengthening the forces of progressive camp through unity and renovation.

Pyongyang, January 15 (KCNA) -- The Paektusan Czech-Korean Friendship Association issued a statement on Jan. 8 in support of the joint New Year editorial carried by the newspapers of the party, the army and the youth league in the DPRK.
The association in the statement said that the proud victory and achievements the DPRK gained last year were the brilliant fruition of Kim Jong Il's outstanding strategy and tactics, iron will and dynamic leadership.
The association extends full support to the Korean people in the struggle to build a rich, powerful and prosperous country and achieve the reunification of the country holding high the slogan ""Glorify This Year of the 60th Anniversary of the Founding of the DPRK as a Year of Historical Turn Which Will Go Down in the History of the Country!", the statement said, expressing the belief that they would achieve greater success this year.

Pyongyang, January 15 (KCNA) -- Antonio Neto, chairman of the Brazilian Working People's General Center, released a statement on January 9.
He in his statement strongly denounced the U.S. imperialists for keeping Korea physically divided into two parts by building the concrete wall.
The concrete wall is a vivid proof of the U.S. scheme to pursue continued instability on the Korean Peninsula and its permanent division, the statement noted, demanding the removal of the wall.